Improvement in bee-hives



NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS S. COE, OF MONT CLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 159,08 l, dated January26, 1875; application filed September 19, 1874.

To all whom it may concer/n:

Be it known that I, JULIUs S. CoE, of Mont Clair, in the county of Essexand State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement inBee-Houses, of which the following is a specification:

The invention will first be fully described, and then pointed out in theclaim.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a sectional elevation of thebee-house, taken on the li-ne a: of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a verticalcross-section of the house, taken on the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section ot Fig. l, taken on the line z z.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The walls, roof, and ceiling, and lower floors of this bee-house aremade double, of wood or other suitable materials, each having aninclosed space, C, between the outer wall, A, and roof B and the innerwall or lining, D. This space O may be illed with any good non-conductorof heat, or be left as dead-air spaces. The interior surfaces of thesespaces are covered with building-paper of any description, to insuretight joints. e represents paper.

Other air-tight material may be used; but the manila building-paper ispreferred, as all the cracks and pores of the wood are entirely closedthereby, and consequently all air-passages are stopped.

The paper is cemented upon both surfaces of the spaces c, andeffectually prevents the warping of the wall when properly cementedthereto.

Between the double ceiling and the double rootl is dead-air space c.This air-space, in combination with the double roof and ceiling,counteracts the effects of the sun in hot weather, and effectuallyscreens the hives.

In times of excessive heat, the cold-air duets o may be connected withan ice-house to more eft'ectually cool the bee-house.

At all seasons of the year more or less ani. mal heat is generated bythebees. This heat is utilized in this beehouse in winter-time byproducing` (in combination with the freshair pipes, exit-pipes, andsealed walls) a gentle circulation of air, by which the health andactivity of the bees are secured.

The cold air which passes down through the Ventilating-tubes in hotweather falls by its greater speciiic gravity upon and around the hives,and serves to keep them cool on the outside, and prevents the stupefyingef iect of heat within the hive.

The atmosphere within the bee-house in extreme hot weather may be cooledby the evap-A oration of water from pans or other proper receptacles(one or more) placed on the iioor, or located Wherever convenient; orpieces of cloth may be saturated with Water, and suspended in thebee-house for thatr purpose.

K is an evaporating-pan. F are. shelves, (two, more or less,) on whichthe bee-hives G are placed. The hives are arranged in rows on each sideof the house and across one end, as represented in Fig. 3, and the beesobtain access to them through the apertures Tl from the alghting-boardsI, each hive having a separate entrance, as seen. J is the door forgiving access to4 the hives, above which is a ian-light or window forlighting the interior of the house. This door is also double, asrepresented. L is a central ue for the discharge of the foul or heatedair of the beehousc. This iue extends down through the double ceiling m,and is sufficiently large to alloue-.of a free passage of air from thehiveapartment. This flue extends up through the roof a suitabledistance, and is covered by the cap N. L is a damper. O are lues for theadmission of pure air. These lines protrude through the roof', andextend down near each of the side walls of the bee-house. Revolvinghoods or other suitable devices may be attached to these ues forconcentrating and directing the air downward into the house. These luesand air-tubes are all provided with dampers, as seen in the drawing. l?are ice -boxes, (four, more or less,) which are placed in any convenientlocation for cooling the bee-house when the temperature rises too high.Q are holes through the ends of the house for the introduction of coolair when necessary. These holes are provided with adjustable valves anddampers. E is a window, which may be inserted for affording additionallight to the bee-house.

A bee-house constructed and arranged in this manner may be kept at anydesired temperature in the hottest weather, and proteeted from cold inthe coldest Weather-aldvantages Which the ordinary bee-house does notpossess.

I do not broadly claim a bee-house mede with double Walls; but,

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- The combination, with a, biseeted elose beehouse, ofside shelves arranged around an open space in tiers, the air-inlet pipes0, and the air-discharge flue L, as shown and described.

i J ULIUS S. COE. Witnesses: N. O. PILLSBURY,

HUGH GALLAGHER.

